Upper Anderson River Project
Watershed Management Plan
ARN A 305-5-76
Prepared by: Indiana 15 Regional Planning Commission
221 East First Street
Ferdinand, Indiana 47532
www.ind15rpc.org
(812) 367-8455
Funded by: Indiana Department of Environmental Management
Table of Contents
Chapter Page
1. Introduction ………………………………………………………………………………. 3
Building partnerships ……………………………………………………………………… 4
2. Description of Watershed ...………………………………………………………………. 5
Soils ………………………………………………………………………………………. 5
Topography ……………………………………………………………………………….. 5
Hydrology …………………………………………………………………………………. 6
Land use …………………………………………………………………………………... 6
When settled ……………………………………………………………………………… 6
Historical events ………………………………………………………………………….. 7
Important features ……………………………………………………………………….... 7
3. Establishing Benchmarks …………………………………………………………………. 8
4. Identifying Problems, Causes, and Stressors …………………………………………….. 11
5. Identifying Sources ……………………………………………………………………….. 12
6. Identifying Critical Areas ………………………………………………………………… 13
7. Setting Goals and Selecting Indicators …………………………………………………… 14
8. Choosing Measures to Apply …………………………………………………………….. 14
9. Calculating Load Reductions ……………………………………………………………... 15
10. Implementing the Measures …………………………………………………………….. 15
11. Monitoring Indicators …………………………………………………………………… 16
12. Evaluating and Adapting the Plan ………………………………………………………. 16
13. References ……………………………………………………………………………….. 16
Appendix A: Project Area Map
Appendix B: Additional Stressors Map
Appendix C: Land Use Matrix
Appendix D: Stress Rating Matrix
Appendix E: Soils Map
Appendix F: Topography Map
Appendix G: Areas of Concern and Critical Areas Map
Appendix H: Project Water Quality Data
Appendix I: IDEM Water Quality Data
Appendix J: Load Reduction and Concerns and Goals Matrix
Appendix K: Spreadsheet Tool for the Estimation of Pollutant Loads (STEPL)
Appendix L: Water Quality Data Metadata
Appendix M: Sampling Sites Metadata
1. Introduction:
The Anderson River (8 Digit Hydrologic Unit Code [HUC] 05140201) is located in Southwestern Indiana with its headwaters in Crawford, Dubois, Perry, and Spencer Counties and emptying into the Ohio River west of the town of Troy, Indiana (See Appendix A).
Three sub-watersheds in the headwaters (Blackhawk Creek HUC 05140201070070, Hurricane Creek - Ferdinand Run HUC 05140201070060, and Hurricane Creek – Headwaters HUC 05140201070050) of the watershed were studied for the project (See Appendix A).
The project area is approximately 21,000 acres. Ferdinand State Forest comprises approximately 2,900, thereby reducing the area threatened by agriculture and urban activities to approximately 18,700 acres.
In July, 1999 a gathering of a half dozen or so citizens met at the St. Meinrad Arch Abbey Gift Shop in Spencer County. The spring flooding of farm fields triggered the meeting. It was decided to schedule a public meeting to find out how many citizens in the watershed had serious concerns, and what their concerns were. Additionally, the group wanted to review an earlier conservancy plan and its lack of implementation.
The first public meeting drew 30 people on August 4, 1999. There were 7 public meetings through January 3, 2001. At the August 4th, 1999 meeting the following list of issues were prioritized:
· money available for projects
· flooding
· ditch maintenance
· water quantity
· who has jurisdiction of the Anderson River
· what regulations and requirements may be attached to money
· beaver
· community water supplies
· log jams
· water velocity
· multi-county coordination
· water quality
From this humble beginning the Anderson River Improvement Association (ARIA) was formed with a vision statement of “A Cleaner, Safer, Flowing River in an Enhanced Environment.” The ARIA developed the following goals:
· Remove log jams to improve water flow and lessen bank erosion
· Retain and detain runoff away from streams through best management practices of landscape and impoundments
· Encourage land use practices at the edge of streams to prevent erosion, e.g. filter strips, trees, and wetlands
· Monitor conditions of trees at stream edges and provide ongoing maintenance
· Research information on water quality/quantity, and develop ongoing assessment programs
· Search out all the funding sources available to the ARIA
· Define projects which can be funded
A Field Day was held on June 22, 2006 that focused on the role of trees in nutrient up-take, stream bank stabilization, and maintaining riparian zones.
Six field trips were conducted with students from Heritage Hills High School in Lincoln City, Forest Park High School in Ferdinand, and Perry Central High School in Leopold. The students learned how to conduct water sampling and macroinverterbrate identification.
On January 20, 2007 this project hosted a workshop that discussed flood plains, wetlands, and excavation in and around streams as part of the program to educate citizens about erosion and its contribution to poor water quality.
Building partnerships:
The Anderson River Improvement Association (ARIA) struggled for years to launch a viable project in the Anderson River watershed. The presence of Indiana 15 Regional Planning Commission (Indiana 15) provided a ready-made multi-county umbrella organization to move the project into an implementation phase. The partnership of the ARIA and Indiana 15 allowed for the preparation of a grant request to the Indiana Department of Environmental Management in 2004, which is funding this Watershed Management Plan project.
With Indiana 15 providing project management, a steering committee was formed with the ARIA being a core asset. Partnerships were formed with county Soil and Water Conservation Districts, the Natural Resources Conservation Services, Lincoln Hills Resources Conservation and Development Area and stakeholders. A basic tenet of the organization is that the project would be conducted in a benevolent helpful manner. The consensus is that stakeholders will achieve greater good in an inclusive and open environment.
A project kick-off meeting was held on April 22, 2005 at the St. Meinrad Community Center with stakeholders and IDEM personnel attending. The inaugural meeting was well attended even though farmers were rushing to complete their planting before storms set in.
Tom Mosley, the Project Coordinator, gave an overview of the project and goals. Pam Brown and Bonny Elifritz of the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) provided insight and guidance on the project. This project is sponsored and funded by IDEM.
Over the period of the project, stakeholders met several times to produce the following list of concerns:
Concern: High E. coli levels in the upper portion of the Anderson River
Watershed
Concern: High erosion and sedimentation levels in the upper portion of the Anderson River watershed
Concern: Excessive periodic flooding in the upper portion of the Anderson River watershed
Concern: Contaminants from vehicular traffic, impervious surfaces (parking lots and driveways) and industrial transportation spills in the upper portion of the Anderson River watershed
Many organizations have participated to varying degrees in this project. The more active organizations include:
Dubois County Soil and Water Conservation District.
Perry County Soil and Water Conservation District.
Spencer County Soil and Water Conservation District.
Natural Resources Conservation Services – U. S. Department of Agriculture
Lincoln Hills Resources Conservation and Development Area – U. S. Department of Agriculture
2. Description of Watershed:
Soils: Soil types in the watershed are predominately comprised of Gilpin-Berks defined as well-drained, strongly sloping to very steep soils formed from sandstone residuum on the side slopes of the uplands; Cuba-Hammond defined as well-drained, nearly level soils formed from medium textured alluvium in the bottoms and low terraces; Zanesville-Tilsit defined as moderately well-drained, gently sloping to moderately sloping soils formed from loess over sandstone residuum; and Markland-McGary on the terraces near the mouth of the Anderson River as somewhat poorly-drained soils formed from fine textured lacustrine materials (See Appendix E). The nature of these soil associations and the topography of the sub-watersheds within the Anderson River drainage creates erodable to highly-erodable crop and pasture lands, unstable riverbanks and subsequent tree-falls which further contribute to stream siltation, flooding problems and crop losses.
Topography: The project area is located on the far eastern edge of the Illinois Basin which is on the Kankakee Branch of the geologic Precambrian Cincinnati Arch, and is characterized by timbered steep slopes, narrow pastured or row-cropped valleys with eroding gullies, and unstable riverbanks. Log jams in segments of the river, and periodic flash flooding cause road and field damage, crop losses, and isolation of residences from road access and emergency services. Sedimentation, fertilizers, pesticides and manure all intermittently affect the quality of water within the Anderson River and the ecosystem as a whole (See Appendix F).
Hydrology: Though the Middle Fork of the Anderson River has an established conservancy district and flood-control impoundments, the main channel of the Anderson River has no conservancy district or flood control impoundments.
Land use: By referring to Appendix C, it is obvious that the project area is overwhelmingly rural with cropland at approximately 20% and forests at approximately 45%, (of which Ferdinand State Forest comprises about 10%). Pasture occupies approximately 34% and developed land accounts for less than 1%.
Agriculture and logging practices have changed and improved over time, but still contribute to water quality problems and in some cases cause unstable riverbanks. Confined Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) are becoming more numerous as well. And while the Indiana Department of Environmental Management has some permitted sites in the area (See Appendix B), operations that do not fall within the scope of CAFOs are increasing in number and size.
The project area lies on the far eastern edge of the Illinois basin with coal, gas and oil reserves. Gas and oil wells have provided income for many years, but have resulted in petroleum seepages from time-to-time that affects water quality. While there are coal strip mines in the area of Santa Claus to the west, there has been no coal mined in the project area.
Recreational activities such as hiking, camping, and fishing abound in the area and in the Ferdinand State Forest (See Appendix A). Additionally, private areas support these outdoor activities as well as off-road vehicle riding. Occasionally, the vehicle operators like to drive in the stream channels, which can cause increased erosion (See Appendix G). Other sections of this plan will continually make reference to this map, which shows the area of concerns.
Saint Meinrad is the only true urban area in the project area. Concentrated development has not been an issue to date and growth trends for Dubois, Perry and Spencer Counties through 2020 show a 9% increase. None-the-less, individual homes are continually creeping into the area, with the associated environmental impacts such as septic systems and vehicle lubricants.
A St. Meinrad Sanitary Sewer District was formed in 1998. The District accomplished a major goal by constructing a wastewater system and eliminating many residents’ failing septic systems. This area is expected to grow as a result of this available infrastructure.
There are no legal drains in the project area, but individuals on occasion clear stream banks and excavate in streams to increase local drainage. Likewise, driving vehicles through the stream channels is undertaken rather than constructing bridges (See Appendix G).
When settled:
Dubois County was formed in 1818 and is named for Toussaint Dubois, a Frenchman who fought in the Revolutionary War, the Battle of Tippecanoe, and the War of 1812. Dubois was a merchant who lived mainly in Vincennes. He drowned in 1816 while crossing the Little Wabash River near Lawrenceville, Illinois.
The original county seat was Portersville. In 1830 the county seat was moved south to Jasper.
Perry County was formed in 1814. It is named for Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry who defeated the British squadron in the decisive Battle of Lake Erie in 1813. Mr. Adam Shoemaker who taught Abraham Lincoln is buried in the Cox Shoemaker Cemetery on Cougar Road within the watershed. He also founded a church on Hurricane Creek, but nothing remains of the church. The county seat is in Tell City.
In 1818 Captain Spier Spencer, who was killed at the Battle of Tippecanoe, settled Spencer County. Abraham Lincoln lived in Spencer County from 1816 to 1830, between the ages of seven and twenty-one. His family moved to Illinois in 1830. The Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial is located at the site of the Lincoln family farm The county seat is in Rockport.
Saint Meinrad Arch Abbey was founded in 1854 by monks from Einsiedeln Abbey in Switzerland. They came to southern Indiana at the request of a local priest for assistance in addressing the pastoral needs of the growing German-speaking Catholic population and to prepare local men to be priests.
Shortly after arriving in Indiana, the Benedictines began offering high school courses to local youths. In 1861, the monks expanded their general courses to include undergraduate courses in philosophy and theology. Through these programs, the monks of Saint Meinrad began their mission, which continues today: preparing men for service in the Church as priests. The Abbey is a prominent structure within the watershed.
Historical events:
Interstate 64, was constructed over 40 years ago and altered the natural water channels and drainage. Likewise, the presence of some six miles of interstate presents a distinct potential hazard from contaminants and spills.
In the early 1970s there was a failed attempt to research the need for a series of flood-control impoundments throughout the entire watershed, with only the Middle Fork successfully addressed. Therefore, beyond the evident water quality problems, there is also an unsuccessful past effort to comprehensively address the issues affecting the entire Anderson River Watershed.
Important features:
Saint Meinrad Arch Abbey owns and operates an international company that produces and markets religious, spiritual and inspirational cards, books and gifts. Abbey Press is one of the largest business enterprises in Spencer County, Indiana, with more than 300 employees.
It was begun in 1867 when the Benedictine monks purchased a used printing press. Although primarily used for in-house printing needs, the monks recognized the opportunity of spreading its ministry beyond the printed word in the 1960s.
Today, Abbey Press markets its products throughout the United States and in 25 English-speaking countries.
The small chapel of Monte Casino is located on a hill near the Arch Abbey. Surrounded by trees and panoramic views of the Anderson Valley, the shrine is dedicated to the Virgin Mary. The history of Monte Casino Shrine tells how a novena to Our Lady of Monte Casino is credited for saving the village of St. Meinrad from a smallpox epidemic in 1871. Since the chapel's dedication in 1870, thousands of people have visited the sandstone chapel. Besides personal pilgrimages to the shrine, public pilgrimages are held as well.
3. Establishing Benchmarks:
In order to arrive at a starting point, local stakeholders held public meetings, examined resource material such as the Geographic Information System, and conducted “windshield surveys.” The windshield surveys were personal observations by citizens that are familiar with the area and which helped to develop the stress rating in Appendix D. The Resources Inventory & Priorities Plan was developed in December of 2002 with a grant solicited from the Unites States Forest Service. The stress ratings directly relate to observable conditions.